Part of my Sunday morning routine is listening to the Speaking of Faith public radio program. Yesterday I was especially pleased that the guest was Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner who started the Green Belt Movement. The movement began by organizing women who were living the impacts of deforestation through the simple act of planting trees.

I’ve been meaning for a few years now to read more of Maathai’s writings because I get the sense that she strikes a good balance between addressing the legitimate needs of people–in this case Kenyans needing clean water and firewood– and concerns for the welfare of the planet. Listening to an interview while enjoying my morning Fair Trade coffee was a nice multi-tasking opportunity.

What struck me in this interview was Maathai’s attributing her understanding of community service to the lessons she learned from the nuns who taught her in during childhood. While speaking of the importance of investing in the planet’s future through biodiversity, Maathai touched on how the nuns lived their lives in the service of others, communicating a sense of responsibility to community and to the Creator. Through their efforts, the teachers were planting the seeds of Maatha’s future. You can hear the entire interview from the Speaking of Faith website by downloading podcasts.

Katy and I are working with our web-team to get some of our own podcasts up on this site (yeh, I know we are late-adopters) so stay tuned for that. Or subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already by clicking on the orange box and following the instructions. The blog is a good way to get our latest news…but not for the next two days, because we are headed to a staff retreat. While we are away, visit the Get Involved section for ideas of how to be part of the future of the Fair Trade movement.